Electric lighting device



Jane 3, 195@ A. GOLDSTEIN ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1947 Jan. 3, 1950v A. GOLDSTEIN ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1947 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED PATENT 2,493,626

ELEcrraIc LIGHTING DEvIoE Arnold noldstein, Allentown, Pa.

Application lieoember 15, 194:, Serial 1%. P191314 1 Claim. 1.

The present invention relates to electric lamps and more particularly to electric lighting devices adapted to provide different modes ofillumination by varying the number of lighting units lit at the same time.

In devices of the aforesaid character, a sequence switch may be employed which starts from no light position to one mode of ill-unimation, then to another mode of illumination, and so on, until after a predetermined number of operations the switch returns to no light position. This necessitates, however, if the sequence switch has been operated but once to further operate the same and to pass through all modes of illumination before the switch can completely turn out all the lighting It is, therefore, an object on-the present invention, to provide an electric lighting device of the character described which avoids the abovementioned inconveniences and is relatively simple in production and operation. 7

It is another object of the invention to provide means for stepping an electric lighting device through different modes of illumination and to turn off the aforesaid device in a predeter mined position. v i

It is a further object of this invention to provide 1 leans affording convenient operation of two parallel switches each operable to produce different degrees of illumination and of a main switch adapted to inactivate each of said parallelswitches. H i

Yet a further object of the invention is to pro vide relay means for cooperation with saidamaster switch means and said sequence switch means;

said relay means being preferably accommodated in the fixture (foot) of the lighting device. I

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means affording the operation of light units selectively from a main switch and from individual switches,- the latter beingco ordinated to said m'ain switch in a very simple and efficient manner.

With the foregoing objects" in View together with such other objects and advantages as ma Fig. 3 illustrates one possible form of switch adapted to be used in connection with the wiring diagram of Fig. 2;; sand Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of the switch 01- Fig. -3.-

Referring to Fig. 1 there are shown in dotted lines the outlines of a lamp ill which may be a floor lamp consistingof a base I a standard l2, a central socket [3 from which three arms IQ, l5 and lli extend, and of an upper socket ll. A cable It terminatingin a plug 1-9 passesthrough the base i l and the tubular standard I2 in order to supply electric power iyrom any convenient source te. g. an ordinary wall socket) to the various lighting units. These units may be three single-filament lamps Llq, L20 and Lao supported in respective sockets of arms 14, I5 and 16 of device lll and adorable filament lamp L40 held in the socket I 1. Mountedon the central socket it is a master switch S10 which may be a pull switch provided with a chain 2'0 whi-le two sequence switches S20, S30 are mounted on the" central socket 13 and the upper socket 1 1 respectively. These switches S20, Sac may be simple snap switches, for example, rotatable through successive positions spaced apart at The cable t8 comprises two main wires or conductors mm, mm. Wire man contains the master switc-li' S10 while wire 3714i) terminates at contacts Sci, Sb of the sequence switch- S30. The filaments of lamps L20 and L30 are interconnected by two conductors 2f, 22 whereas conductor 23 connects the point of junction het ween conductors '21 and mm to the filament of lamp L10. rim rtlllfi conductor 24 from new L10 is conned" to the contact Sc of switch S20 whose contacts Sd, as are 16655 connected to the Wire 22.

The armature or switc e o is connected to the conductor mm which in turn connected to the two filaments 2'6, 27 of ramp L40 in parallel. The other ends of filaments 26., 2? are connected to the two left-hand contacts S1, S9 or switch S30, re spectively'.

The operation of the circuit arrangement shown inFigi 1 Willbe apparent from the wiring diagram. When plug I 9 is connected to a current source a pull of -the chain 211 will permit selective enrg'ization' of the lighting units Lin to Leo. When the switch Sfm' closed (dotted position) rotation of the switchszo m clockwise direction will first connect wire" '22 to ecr'idfictar mm hence the two lamps L20 and L3 will be iii. .A second actuation of switch 820 Willconriect through new tactSc conductor ma, further to wire 24 so that d? two lower lamp L10 will likewise be lit. A further rotation of switch S20 will disconnect all three lamps from the circuit. Assuming that switch S10 remains closed, a first actuation of switch San will connect the conductor mm to filament 26 of lamp L40, while a second actuation of said switch S20 will establish connection with the other filament 21. Further rotation of switch S30 will again extinguish lamp L40.

It will be seen that, without regard to the positions of switches S20 and S30, 2. first operation of the master switch S10 will bring about complete deenergization of the lamp device ID. A subsequent Operation of switch $10 will restore the device to the control of the sequence switches S20, S30.

For some purposes, however, it may be desirable to allow the sequence switches S20, S30 to resume control of the illumination without intervening reoperation of the master switch S10 in order to enable the user to turn on the lamp in a desired manner without first determining whether the master switch had been opened. A circuit arrangement capable of accomplishing this purpose, function and result is shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 m1 and 1m are the main conductors, S1 is the master switch, S2 and S3 are the sequence switches, L1, L2 and L3 are the single-filament lamps and L4 is the double-filament lamp provided with two filaments 3D and 3|. Three relays A, B and C are associated with the switch S2 for the purpose of selectively energizing the lamps L1, L2 and L3 and three further relays D, E and F are similarly associated with the switch S3 for the purpose of selectively energizing the filaments 30 and 3| of lamp L4. Because the electrical connections between each group of relays and the respective sequence switch are identical, the connections between switch S3 and the relay group D, E, F have not been shown in the drawing.

The master switch S1 may be a pull switch and provided, for this purpose, with a chain 32; this switch, however, has only one normal position in which its armature 33 is held by a spring 34 onto a contact 35 so as to maintain the conductor m2 normally intact.

Switch S2 is a triple-throw switch having three armatures 36, 31 and 38 which, when the switch S2 is actuated or depressed, are adapted to con nect three auxiliary bus bars 36a, 31a and 38a to the main conductor m1; similarly, switch S3 is a triple-throw switch having three armatures 40, 4| and 42, which are operable to connect three auxiliary bus bars 40a, Ma, and 42a to the main conductor ml, by way of an auxiliary conductor 43.

The operation of this circuit arrangement is as follows:

When the master switch S1 is pulled, it dis connects momentarily the main conductor m2 from positive potential whereby any relay that may have been energized is released. All the lamps are extinguished under these circumstances, their respective circuits being broken at the front contacts 45, 46, 41 and 48 of relays B, C, E and F, respectively. If switch S2 is now operated (depressed and released) for the first time, relay A is energized through main conductor m2, wire 50, winding of relay A, wire normally closed contact 52 of relay B, wire 53, conductor 36a, armature 36 of actuated switch S2, conductor m1; and locks to armature 3B of switch S2 over its own closed front contact 54 and conductor 36a. Relay B energizes, while switch S2 is still actuated, through conductor m2, conductors H and 55, winding of relay B, wire 53, back contact 51 of relay C, wire 58, closed front contact 59 of relay A, conductor 36a, armature 3B, conductor 1114; relay B now looks to armature 31 over its front contact (ill and conductor 31a and establishes its own holding circuit to conductor ml by way of wire 56, back contact 51, wire 58, front contact 6| of relay B, wire 52.

Relay B also breaks the energizing circuit for relay A at contact 52, yet relay A remains energized over armature 36, wire 33a and contact 54 as long as the switch S2 is depressed. As soon as this switch is released, relay A is deenergized and prepares an energizing circuit for relay 0 over its back contact 63 and closed front contact 64 of relay B. If, now, switch S2 is again actuated after an interval during which the master switch S1 has not been opened, relay C energizes over the aforesaid circuit which includes wires 55, 55, 61 and 53, breaks the holding circuit for relay B (which, however, remains locked to 3l-3la as long as switch S2 is depressed), locks to 3838a over its closed front contact 38, and establishes its own holding circuit to conductor ml by way of wire 66, contact 53, wire 69, closed front contact ll! of relay C, wire 62. After switch S2 is released, relay B is deenergized, but relay C remains operated over its holding circuit.

A third actuation of switch S2 energizes relay A in the same manner as when the switch was first operated; yet relay B will remain deenergized, its operating circuit being open at back contact 51 of relay C. Relay A, at its back contact 63, opens the energizing circuit as well as the holding circuit of relay C which latter, however, remains locked to 38-38a as long as switch S2 is depressed. When this switch is released, both relays A and C deenergize and all relays A, B, C of the first group are now inoperative. Relay A may be made slightly slow-releasing (as indicated in the drawing by shading) in order to insure that relay C is deenergized before its holding circuit over contact 53 can be reestablished.

Thus it will be seen that, after the first operation of switch S2, relay B alone is energized; after the second operation of switch S2 relay C replaces relay B as the only relay operated; after the third operation of the switch all three relays are released. It is thus possible to connect two lamps, say L2 and L3, in such a manner that they will be lit when relay B is energized and to connect the third lamp L1 in such a manner that all three lamps will be lit when relay C is energized. Thus, the circuit for lamps L2, L3 may be traced from conductor 1712 over wire 1 I, closed front contact 45 of relay B, wire 72 to conductor m1, while the circuit for all three lamps L1, L2 and L3 is traced from conductor 1212 over wire H to closed front contact 38 of relay C, wire l3 through L1 to conductor m1 and also from wire 13 over wire 14, closed back contact 15, wire 32 through L2 and L2 (in parallel) to conductor m1.

In completely analogous manner, filament 3| will be lit when relay E is energized after the first actuation of switch S2 (conductor m2, wire 80, closed front contact t? of relay E, wire 8|, filament 3|, wire 82 to conductor 1111) whereas filament 30 will be lit when relay F is energized after the second actuation of the switch S3 (conductor m2, wire til, closed back contact ll, wire 83, closed front contact 38 of relay F, wire 36, filament 30, wire 82 to conductor mi). The energization of relay A or D, if and when it occurs, has no effect upon the respective lighting units L1, L2, L2 and L4.

Fig. 3 illustrates one form of the switch S2 or S3. Three tongues 36, 37, 38 (forming armatures 35, 31 and 38, respectively of Fig. 2) are connected in parallel to the negative conductor m1 and are actuated simultaneously by a push button P to make respective contact with tongues 35a, 3m, 33d connected to respective conductors 36b, 31b, 310. By making the spacing between tongues 13% and 36a smaller than that between tongues 38 and 38a, the need for making the relay A slow -releasing will be obviated.

Fig. 3 shows a modification for switch S3 (or S2) In this form, the switch has three revolving contact arms or tongues I36, I31, and i353 mounted on a shaft G and spaced thereon by an angle of 120, these arms cooperating, cyclically, with respective stationary tongues 136a, l3'ia and BM. The latter tongues are connected, respectively, to conductors I351), I312), i331). Contact arms I36, 531 and E33 may be connected to the negative conductor ml by way of the conductive sleeve H of shaft G. By making tongue 135a longer than the other tongues of the stationary set, contact between i350, and a respective tongue of the revolving set will be established for a longer period than between the other pairs of contacts, so that the need for making relay D of Fig. 2 slow-releasing may be obviated.

It will be understood that, if conductors m1 and TM are to be connected to a source of alternating current rather than direct current as shown, no change in the circuit need be made except that elays A to F should be of the alternating current type (they may, for instance, be ordinary D.-C. relays connected in series with a rectifier and shunted by a condenser).

It will thus be seen that each operation of the master switch S1 initiates a new cycle of operations in which the first, fourth, seventh etc. actuation of a respective sequence switch S2, S3 will establish one mode of energization of an associated set of lighting units; a second, fifth, eighth etc. actuation of the same switch will establish a different mode of operation of the respectively associated lighting units, while a third, sixth, ninth etc. actuation will establish a third mode of opeartion (e. g. darkness). The master switch may be of any type in which a single contact is momentarily opened, while the sequence switches may be of any type in which three contacts in parallel are momentarily closed.

It will also be seen that no relay of a particular group of relays is operated during periods of darkness for the associated lighting units, irrespectively of whether their deenergiaation had been brought about by operation of the master switch or by the third, sixth etc. actuation of the respective sequence switch, this fact being important for economic considerations.

Although there has been hereinabove disclosed the re-setting of the sequence switches by electric means such as relays etc. and upon actuation of a master switch, it is well understood that the master switch may also include or may be so constructed as to contain mechanical means, such as gears and spring elements, to bring about resetting of the sequence switches to initial or starting positions.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

In a portable electric lighting device, in combination, lighting means, an energizing circuit for said lighting means including circuit means provided with a normal and a plurality of off-normal positions, said circuit means being adapted to effect diiferent modes of energization of said lighting means in the respective positions of said circuit means, a first switch operable in said normal position of said circuit means to displace said circuit means into a first off-normal position thereof and operable in each other position of said circuit means to displace said circuit means into a respective subsequent position, and a second switch operable in each position of said circuit means other than said normal position to effect the immediate return of said circuit means into said normal position.

ARNOLD GOLDSTEIN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Schwartz Jan. 19, 1937 Number 

